Future Individual Weapon(s) circa 2020-2025

[M995]

Sorry to be slightly off topic. Some of the future soldiers programs plan on improving the soldiers protective gear. The British soldier of the future: Star Wars helmet and sharpshooter rifle to take on Taliban | Mail Online

Just a side note, the Canadian army has safety glasses that protects the soldiers eyes from fragmentation. A former Canadian officer who still works for the CF told me there was an incident in Afghanistan where an IED exploded nearby and injured a Canadian soldiers face. But his eyes were completely unharmed because the safety glasses stopped the IED's fragments/sharpnel.

Does anyone think that DMRs would be equipped with something like the DInGO sight in the future? Due to the current trends of adjustable gas regulators on 7.62mm rifles like the Mk17 and HK417, does anyone think DMRs would be issued with suppressors in the future? Does anyone think optics for the DMR will have integrated laser range finders in the future?

[Spetsnaz2.0]

This you got to see
Prototype Quadrotor with Machine Gun! - YouTube

[Spetsnaz2.0]

New Russian subsonic rifle 12.7x54mm


The old one was 9mm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VSS_Vintorez

[Spetsnaz2.0]

Above comes with
Translated as: abrams tank weak points

[M995]

Since Russian weapons were brought up, I think the Russian PKP Pecheneg is an interesting concept. I think that in the future, LMGs (and maybe GPMGs) may use cobalt alloy barrels that can withstand sustained fire rates better or the PKP style barrel design so that MGs would not need an extra barrel.

Here's some info from the PKP's manufacturer: Open Joint Stock Company "V.A.Degtyarev Plant" / 7.62mm 6P41 Pecheneg machine gun
pch ru.htm

From Jane's infantry weapons: "The fixed barrel can accommodate 25 round to 50 round bursts up to a total of 400 rounds without loss of efficiency. The service life of the barrel in an 'active' mode is stated to be 30,000 rounds."

Russian terminology is different from Western terminology so I'm not sure what active mode means. Does anyone know if the 30K service life of the barrel is for normal use over time (and fired at other than all cyclic firing rates)?

Does anyone know how the PKP barrel and the Cobalt alloy barrels compare in terms of cook off, barrel failure rates, and cost?

[Gunschlinger]

AAI Textron Systems Lightweight Small Arms Technologies (LSAT) - YouTube

[hucrie]

I don't think it would be easy to imagine and think what would be running right within our midst on a battle field setting right about this time. I would likely consider that there will be more portable nuclear options and even close to being setup on a handgun. Not quite possible now but if they will be able to do that, certain that things will really start to roll the next time out.

[G3Kurz]

Some interesting input.

Portable power (batteries) will unlikely be capable of the power needed for any type of beam weapon by 2025. Guided projectiles are far too expensive and not conducive to calibers under .50 BMG. Flechettes and duplex have limited range and accuracy. Air-bursting grenades are niche secondary weapons and not right for every engagement nor have they been proven effective in individual use, and the single round weight and cost is excessive.

Thus the infantryman of the future will still be killing the enemy with KE fragments or projectiles. Some of the most promising evolutionary progress is being made in adjusted aiming point rifle sights like the DARPA/LM DInGO sight - small enough and inexpensive enough for carbines and will allow standard riflemen to ID and accurately engage point targets at the MER of the weapon/ammo platform. There in lies the emerging problem - the sights and as such the ability of the operator will outclass the ammunition capabilities.

The current LSAT Polymer Cased Telescoped 5.56mm belt-fed LMG empty weighs in at @ 9 lbs. Drop the bipod and shorten the barrel and you could have a lightweight <8 lb belt-feed carbine. @ 40% less weight then standard cased ammo and no need for box magazines you would reduce the combat load weight and the necessaity to reload every 30 rds. Scale up the round to 6.5mm or 7mm would extend the MER to 800 meters using the DInGO sight.

That would give you overmatch over most other threat individual weapons out to 800 meters or greater, improved terminal effects at all ranges, a single round for all squad weapons, and a weapon you would not have to reload for 75, 100, 150 even 200 rounds. Who says belt feds have to be LMG's? The lightweight polymer CTA round opens up the door to many non-typical options.

G3Kurz

[M995]

I would likely consider that there will be more portable nuclear options and even close to being setup on a handgun. Not quite possible now but if they will be able to do that, certain that things will really start to roll the next time out.

Portable nuclear weapons were already made in the 1950s during the doctrine of massive retaliation. Recoilless guns firing nuclear projectiles like the Davy Crockett were unsuccessful and were eventually removed from service. I don't think portable nukes are going to be used on the traditional battlefield (modern armies fighting each other).

[bordercop]

Who says belt feds have to be LMG's?

Interesting idea, especially considering that the marines JUST awarded a contract for the magazine fed IAR (with a larger magazine than the usual 30rounders). I would think belted ammo would make it into that role before it would see use in a MBR.

Is there an advantage of a belt, over drum or beta mags? I ask because The only advantage of a 100rd belt over a 100rd beta mag is the ability to tack on more belt to the end. However, in my experience, a loose hanging belt (such as with an M60) is a nuisance in many aspects, and putting it into a box that attaches to the weapon (like M249) removes that benefit of adding more belt on the end.